Ukraine-Russia war: India plans air evacuation of its citizens through these alternate routes

As the war between Ukraine and Russia intensifies, Ukraine has closed its airspace leaving thousands of Indian nationals stranded in the former USSR territory. While the government of India initiated an evacuation drive sending Air India flights to Kyiv, capital of Ukraine and announcing additional flights from Ukraine in the coming days, the air strikes by Russia prompted the Ukrainian govt to close its airspace.

Now India is planning an evacuation of the Indian citizens by alternative routes. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that teams are being sent to the land borders with Ukraine in Hungary, Poland, Slovak Republic and Romania to assist the evacuation of Indian nationals.

"To assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine, MEA Teams from @IndiaInHungary, @IndiainPoland, @IndiaInSlovakia and @eoiromania are on their way to the adjoining land borders with Ukraine," said Arindam Bagchi spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs.

The Embassy of India in Ukraine accommodated more than 200 Indian students at a school near the Embassy in Kiev.